Mingxi followed Duan Yu into the residence, and sure enough, everyone was gathered at the Old Madam’s quarters waiting for her. The moment they saw her, there was a collective sigh of relief.
The Old Master gave her a glare, but didn’t scold her. He just clasped his hands behind his back and walked off.
Duan Huirou and Duan Qingyin weren’t there—they had gone to Madam Jiang’s. One was taking care of her, the other tending to Yang Yiniang.
Second Master Duan and Third Master Duan and their wives asked Mingxi a few questions and offered some words of caution before leaving with their children.
Duan Jin looked at her and said, “If something comes up, tell me. I’ll handle it. A young lady coming back this late—it’s not safe.”
Mingxi gave an awkward smile. This was the first time Duan Jin had ever said something like that to her.
Ma Minyi gently tugged on her husband’s sleeve and said to Mingxi, “You must be tired. Go rest for now. We can talk more tomorrow.”
Mingxi gave her a small smile. “Thank you, Sister-in-law.”
Ma Minyi then led her husband away.
Madam Xiao was still in her confinement period, so she couldn’t come out, but one of her maids was waiting there. She greeted Mingxi politely, then left.
Duan Qi and Duan Ning walked with Mingxi to bid farewell to the Old Madam. Once they left the courtyard, Duan Qi finally asked, “Big Sis, where did you go?”
Mingxi glanced at him. “You’re smart—can’t guess?”
Duan Qi frowned. “You went to investigate Qiao Wan?”
Mingxi smiled and turned to look at Duan Ning. “Second Brother, what do you think?”
Duan Ning, who had been in a grim mood lately due to Yang Yiniang’s situation, looked at her and said, “Did you find anything?”
That was as good as saying he believed it too.
Mingxi gave them a simple rundown. Though she kept it brief, both Duan Ning and Duan Qi could tell things hadn’t gone smoothly—clearly there’d been a fight.
Duan Yu arrived just in time to hear that part and couldn’t help but say, “Why are you so reckless? How can you just walk into danger like that?”
And the worst part? Duan Wang had gone along with her nonsense too. Not one of them was easy to deal with!
“It was a rare opportunity,” Mingxi replied with a grin. “It won’t happen again.”
At least not in front of you all. If I don’t get caught, you won’t worry.
The group shared a silent understanding and headed to Duan Yu’s study. Once seated, Duan Yu had someone guard the door before speaking.
“So Qiao Wan really does have a younger brother?”
Everyone’s face darkened at the mention of Qiao Wan.
Madam Jiang and Yang Yiniang were both on the brink of death—thanks to her.
Mingxi nodded. “Looking back, Qiao Wan probably got close to Father in the first place because someone was using her brother against her. She was forced into it. At the start, she only did little things—small manipulations to distance Father from the family, nothing too outrageous. But later, when she targeted the Old Madam and Yang Yiniang—especially trying to kill Yang Yiniang—it must’ve been because the Crown Prince was threatening her with her brother’s life.”
Duan Ning, usually calm and collected, scoffed. “So her brother’s life matters, but no one else’s does?”
“Exactly,” Duan Qi added. “If only we’d captured that Qiao Yu tonight.”
That way, they could’ve forced Qiao Wan to talk—maybe even gotten real evidence.
“After what happened tonight, getting Qiao Yu back will be much harder,” Duan Ning said as he looked at Mingxi. “But no matter how hard it is, we must make it happen. Mingxi, just tell me—what do you need me to do?”
“Second Brother, don’t be hasty. I know you want justice for Yang Yiniang, but we’re at a standstill right now. If we want to get Qiao Yu and use him against Qiao Wan, we’ll need a thorough plan.”
“True,” Duan Ning murmured, thinking hard. There must be a way.
Even if the Crown Prince was tough to deal with, he’d make him bleed somehow.
Duan Qi’s eyes suddenly lit up—he thought of Jiang Sujie. She was set to enter the Eastern Palace as a liangdi.
If the Crown Prince wanted to use their cousin against his big sister… why couldn’t they flip the script and use her against him?
But the feud between Jiang Sujie and Mingxi complicated things. Duan Qi kept the thought to himself for now—he’d observe a bit more before bringing it up.
Duan Yu turned to Mingxi. “Why would the Crown Prince want Qiao Wan to go after Mother and Yang Yiniang anyway? It makes no sense. Even if Mother were gone, would Father ever legitimize a prostitute? What a joke.”
Mingxi shook her head. “The reason Qiao Wan tried to kill Yang Yiniang was because she realized she was clever, poised, and still held a piece of Father’s heart. That made her a threat. As for the Madam, Qiao Wan didn’t want her dead—she wanted her to almost die. That way, she could use her as leverage, manipulate her to stir up trouble in the household. If the Duan family turned chaotic and divided, that would be to the Crown Prince’s advantage—especially if we siblings started turning against each other.”
“What a vicious heart!” Duan Qi growled.
But the more they thought about it, the more they realized it wasn’t far-fetched.
After all, their family hadn’t exactly been unified before.
“Let’s wait for Wangye’s update,” Duan Ning said. “If we can’t get Qiao Yu, Qiao Wan won’t confess. And without a confession, we can’t proceed. But at least now we know Qiao Yu exists. That’s a big step.”
Mingxi nodded, then turned to Duan Yu. “Big Brother, any word on Father?”
Duan Yu’s expression grew awkward. He paused, then said, “We found him. Qiao Wan was so generous—she got him some beauties and sent him out of the capital on a little vacation.”
Mingxi: …
No wonder they couldn’t find him in the city.
“And now?” she asked.
“Grandfather gave him a good beating—twenty strikes with the rod. Then sent him back to where he came from.” Duan Yu looked downright ashamed.
When Mingxi heard that the Old Master had punished her father himself, she said nothing more. Just commented, “If he doesn’t change, you three brothers are going to suffer for it later.”
“So, Big Brother, with this great opportunity, you’ve already inherited the title. It’s time to show the presence and authority befitting a titled lord, and as the future pillar of the family.”
“You need to suppress him once and for all. Otherwise, think about Madam—she may not survive another ordeal like this. Even from this time alone, it’ll take at least a year for her to recover.”
As for Yang Yiniang, it was certain she wouldn’t fully recover. From now on, it would just be a matter of nurturing her health as best they could, hoping she could live a few more years in peace.
“I understand. Grandfather said the same thing. I’ll do my best,” Duan Yu replied in a low voice.
“Big Brother, not ‘do your best’—you must do it. Just think, Huirou and Qingyin’s marriages are still unsettled. Second and Third Brother aren’t even married yet. Are we really going to let our own father destroy all of this?”
“You’re the eldest. It’s not just about filial piety. You need to think of your younger siblings too. If you know he’s doing wrong and you let it slide out of blind loyalty, when disaster strikes, we’ll all be dragged down with him.”
Duan Yu felt the weight of those words crash down on him like a mountain.
What a great father he had indeed…
